The government’s move to declare a few areas loaded with biodiversity as community reserves and give them protection seems to be paying rich dividends. While locals have spotted an elephant with her two calves in Tillari Conservation Reserve, a cattle carcass in a notified wildlife corridor in Kolhapur has confirmed the presence of big cats.

“The protection given to the forests is helping wild animals. Recently an elephant and her two calves were spotted in Tillari Conservation Reserve at Sindhudurg. The good news is that we have found another cattle kill in the recently notified Chandgad Conservation Reserve,” said a forest official.